Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 12, Part 1

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL THE MONKEYS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS!

PPS PRIMATES in the SPOTLIGHT

Meet Apollo and Echo

Echo and Apollo are critically endangered Cotton Top Tamarins. They were born in a research laboratory in April 1995. There are currently 120,000 primates in laboratories in the US. Echo and Apollo spent the first two years of their lives in a lab. They were sent to Pacific Primate Sanctuary, along with 9 other Cotton Top Tamarins, whose endangered status protected them from being put to death in the lab. Both Echo and Apollo were missing fingers and toes because of bad housing and poor living conditions. They were injured both physically and mentally and were very traumatized when they arrived at the Sanctuary.

Echo

Today, Echo rushes to her feeding platform eager for breakfast, always the first one in her enclosure to greet the volunteers bringing her food. She and Apollo spend hours in outside. Now, in their advanced age, their mobility has greatly decreased and they are no longer able to jump and climb as they once did. We have created a jungle walkway for them (from re-cycled refrigerator shelves) so they can continue to live outdoors and enjoy the sun, the wind, and the many plants in their enclosure. Echo

Please help us continue to provide monkeys such as Echo and Apollo a refuge from research laboratories and the inhumane exotic pet trade.
Donate now at http://www.pacificprimate.org/help-donate.htm

NOTABLE NEWS

This Month we grieve the passing of our precious Jane, a White-tufted Eared Marmoset. Jane was born at a biomedical laboratory and came to Pacific Primate Sanctuary with her family in 2004. Jane spent the last 6 years with us here at the Sanctuary with the sun warming her fur as she leapt through the greenery with her partner, Emilio, by her side. We will all miss her dearly.


The monkeys were very excited with the enrichment they were given this month. Deidre and Daisy were enthralled with paper bag foraging. They were given a paper bag that was crumpled up after being filled with treats. The monkeys had to open up the bags and go digging inside to find their surprise. Deidre and Daisy worked their way into the bag at the same time, so you could just see their back legs and tail sticking out! Other monkeys enjoyed the enrichment involving popcorn. Chloe and Guido liked working popcorn off of a string, while Lily and Nikki spent lots of time hanging from their mesh ceiling to get to the popcorn that was scattered across the top of their enclosure.

Leticia eating a Thanksgiving sweet potato

The Volunteer Caregivers here at PPS prepared a wonderful Thanksgiving meal for the monkeys this year. Breakfast for the Marmosets and Tamarins included sweet potatoes and maple yogurt. The Capuchins were given yummy pumpkin and celery with peanut butter and raisins, while the Spider monkeys enjoyed baked sweet potatoes and raisins. The special holiday foods were a big hit with all of the monkeys. All primates like celebrations!


We have continued to move monkeys into the Extension, and now have 21 primates living in their new home! This last month we moved Abraham over, an elderly Black-tufted Eared Marmoset. Abraham seems to be quite content in his new enclosure. Carlos and Margarite were also moved in, and have been eagerly exploring all the plants and enjoying the sunshine.



We have two monkeys with birthdays this month, and they happen to be twin sisters! Dyna and Vida will be turning 7 years old on December 31. Please join us in wishing these two sisters a very Happy Birthday!

Vida cuddled in a blanket

MEET MORE MONKEYS

Armando enjoys a special Thanksgiving treat of sweet potato perched on his nestbox.

Viola is exhibiting the relaxed open mouth display, or “play face”. Her facial expression indicates that she feels safe, secure, and comfortable and that she wants to play.
Sometimes it is accompanied by bouncing, reaching out her tail, foot or arms, and an excited “hhaa, hhaa, hhaa”!

This Blog and its content is copyright of Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc.—

© Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.

Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:

you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only

you may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material

You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 12, Part 2

WHAT’S HAPPENING at PPS?

We have begun working on to our next big project- new enclosures for the Spider Monkeys! Steven has created a general design plan, and we are eager to move forward with it. The site has been prepared and materials have been ordered. Soon Carlos and Montana, the Spider Monkey brothers rescued from tourist attractions, will be able to move naturally through the trees in a new 40-foot enclosure as they were meant to do!

Spider Monkey Enclosure 3-D design plan

Long time donors and friends of Pacific Primate Sanctuary have offered their contributions towards the construction of the Spider Monkey facility, however we still need to raise $5,000 to complete this project. Generosity and Compassion are the stuff miracles are made of. We appreciate your continued support.

What You Can do to Help the Monkeys!

‘Tis the Season of Giving
The Holiday season is upon us; it is a time of year to celebrate with friends and family- a time when joy, compassion, and the spirit of generosity abound. Below are ways you can help Pacific Primate Sanctuary during this season of giving.

GoodShop
Use GoodShop.com for all your holiday shopping. After designating Pacific Primate Sanctuary as your nonprofit of choice, you can shop at more than 900 top online retailers and a percentage of your purchases will automatically be donated to the Sanctuary! For example: if you shop on eBay using Goodshop.com, 25-35% of eBay revenue will be donated to PPS! GoodShop also provides many valuable coupons to use towards your purchases. When you select a store, you will automatically be redirected to a coupon page for that store. PLEASE use GoodShop this holiday season!

Gift Contributions
Many of us are sick of the holiday buying binge and are searching for truly meaningful gifts. We would like to present a gift giving opportunity:
Gift Contributions can be made to Pacific Primate Sanctuary in the name of anyone on your holiday list. Your Gift Recipients will receive a beautiful Contribution Certificate showing you have made a donation in their name, along with information about PPS. This thoughtful and significant gift helps to feed and care for threatened, endangered and distressed primates. Please see the PPS Holiday Gift Contribution Form located in this blog for details.

Rescue Fund
A Rescue Fund will allow us to provide refuge for at risk animals needing to be brought to the Sanctuary immediately. Laboratories and pet owners often have deadlines for placement and may not contribute to the costs involved in getting the animal to Pacific Primate Sanctuary or provide for their housing and care. Your contributions will allow us to reach out to these monkeys and bring them to this safe haven. If you would like to donate to the Rescue Fund please make a tax-deductible donation at the sites above.


Sponsor an Intern!
We have had several people interested in the PPS internship position who are unable to afford the cost of travelling to Maui and volunteering for a year. For example, we just received the following e-mail from a very qualified applicant:
“I recently graduated with my Master of Science degree where my focus was primate conservation and my bachelor's degree was in anthropology/primatology. I have lived in the jungles of Borneo doing orangutan rehabilitation and Costa Rica. My undergraduate and graduate theses were in captive primate behavior. I also have graduate level experience in Grant Writing and Proposals.”
He is an ideal candidate for our Internship program. Unfortunately, he does not have the finances for an airline ticket or for personnel expenses.

The Sanctuary provides housing and an orchard and organic vegetable garden for our Resident Interns, however we do not have the funds to fly qualified students to Maui or to provide a stipend. If you are interested in sponsoring an Intern by purchasing airline tickets, donating Airline Miles, or providing a monthly stipend for our Resident Interns please contact us at pps@aloha.net.



How to Donate Directly
Please make tax-deductible donations to the Sanctuary in any of the following ways:

You can donate online on our Website: www.pacificprimate.org or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PacificPrimateSanctuary using PayPal
or send a check to:

Pacific Primate Sanctuary
500-A Haloa Road
Haiku, HI 96708

With your support, you make everything we do possible.

PPS PEOPLE in the SPOTLIGHT

We would like to express our deep appreciation to the many Volunteers at Pacific Primate Sanctuary. We are truly thankful for all that you do, for the many and varied gifts you bring to the Sanctuary. Thank you for helping us nurture our fellow beings and protect their precious lives.


Following are some of the PPS Volunteers in action!

Dr. Bud pruning

Mary Catherine, Judi, Loli and Lisa

spreading the word about PPS

Lisa and Mary Catherine providing a delicious Thanksgiving breakfast

Cyndi and Lucy at the Flatbread Fundraiser

Brad helping set up the new extension

This Blog and its content is copyright of Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc.—
© Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.
Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:
you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only
you may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material
You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 12, Part 3

PPS INTERNSHIP

Introducing our newest Resident Intern: Simon Breen
Pacific Primate Sanctuary has selected Simon Breen as our Resident Intern beginning in December 2010. Simon spent the last two years working in the Peace Corps in Nicaragua. He is planning on going to Graduate School in the fall, and some day hopes to open a primate rehabilitation center in Colombia. Simon has a passion for primate conservation, and is very excited to join us at the Sanctuary. Simon writes:

It is with the utmost enthusiasm and joy that I accept the position as a resident intern primate caregiver at the Pacific Primate Sanctuary. I am so sincerely honored to have this opportunity to join the family at the sanctuary in your mission to protect distressed primates and contribute to their conservation.


I promise to arrive with able hands and open mind, ready to listen, to learn, and to perform the tasks expected of me. During my time as your resident intern I promise to devote myself wholehearted to the primates at your center, to adhere to your rules and protocol, and to never forget that the needs of the primates come before my own.


I understand that the position is unpaid, but the reward of sharing in this noble cause is payment enough. This sense of fulfillment will sustain me for the duration of my internship… I predict that my interning will be the beginning of a meaningful lifelong partnership between your center and myself in the effort to conserve New World primates.


My reverence for the work that you and your esteemed staff and volunteers do at your sanctuary for New World monkeys is immeasurable. Thank you for this opportunity to serve these magnificent beings alongside you. I earnestly hope that in time, I will come to be accepted by all the monkeys at your center and their bipedal counterparts.

Welcome Simon, we are so happy that you are joining the Sanctuary Family!

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Special Topic: Lisa
Spider Monkeys, Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution of the Genus Ateles


Chapter 5: Factors influencing spider monkey habitat use and ranging patterns

There are a variety of factors influencing primate-ranging behavior. These can include food abundance and distribution, even the location of water resources, and sleeping sites. Due to the fact that spider monkeys are ripe fruit specialist, they exhibit wide-ranging behavior. Spider monkeys tend to be found in the relatively tall evergreen and semi-deciduous (refers to plants that lose part of their foliage) tropical forest types throughout their range. Some of the factors that affect their habitat use and ranging patterns are the availability and distribution on fruit resources in the forest. In some species of spider monkeys, mineral licks and water resources are an important influence on their ranging behavior. While much research has been done about habitat use patterns there have been relatively few studies that examine habitat use in terms of overall habitat preferences, this would be useful in giving a more complete understanding of factors affecting spider monkey foraging and ranging behavior.

-Campbell, Christina J. Spider Monkeys: The Biology, Behavior, and Ecology of the Genus Ateles (Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology). UK. Cambridge University Press. 2008.

Special Topic: Mary Catherine


Positive Reinforcement Training Update

Positive reinforcement simply refers to rewarding a desired behavior in order to increase the chances of that behavior occurring again. This technique also provides a way to communicate with others in a clear and humane manner. A positive reinforcement program implemented in daily husbandry routines can result in captive animals and their caregivers experiencing mutually beneficial effects.

Here at PPS the marmosets and tamarins are being taught to voluntarily step on a scale when one is placed in their enclosure. Every monkey learns at a different pace, so while Mariette enjoys hopping on the scale and receiving a treat, FIONA is still a bit suspicious of stepping up entirely onto the scale for more than a few seconds. These are two examples of how monkeys can work with their caregivers and communicate to them their comfort levels in performing certain actions. Patience and continued exposure to the scale is likely to increase Fiona’s comfort level with this action while also developing trust for her human caregivers.

MIRACLE, a female capuchin, has been busy this month learning to associate a “click” from a handheld clicker with a small treat. Once this connection was established, Miracle quickly learned specific behaviors, such as holding out her hand for her human caregiver to inspect. Aside from being mentally stimulating, this technique is helpful in the event that a finger or hand injury needs to be examined. She has also learned to hold out each of her legs on cue. Miracle is quite clever so she is learning and retaining a lot of information.





“The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.” —Helen Keller


We hope you have enjoyed this issue of Pacific Primate Sanctuary’s E-Newsletter. Thank you for your support of our life saving work. Because of compassionate people, the Sanctuary can continue to provide a place of peace and happiness for 74 primates saved from research laboratories, animal dealers, and smugglers. Here they can heal, form families, and live free from exploitation.

This Blog and its content is copyright of Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc.—

© Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.

Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:

you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only

you may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material

You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

Pacific Primate Sanctuary- One Day on Earth

Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 11, Part 1

PPS PRIMATES in the SPOTLIGHT

Meet Nikki and Lily

Nikki checking out breakfast

Nikki and Lily are White-tufted Eared Marmosets who will be celebrating their 9th birthday on November 29!

They are incredibly active and playful and spend hours exploring their outdoor enclosure, running back and forth along the branches, and climbing along the small tree trunks.

Lily surrounded by palm fronds

Sanctuary Volunteers noticed that they particularly enjoyed wrestling and chasing one another in a cloth hammock. Since they do this so often we created a double hammock for them - one stacked on top of another.

Nikki and Lily are also vey inquisitive. Their enclosure
overlooks the Sanctuary kitchen window, Nikki particularly enjoys watching as the volunteers prepare breakfast every morning. The girls get very excited about their food, giving out a very loud squeal when they see their favorite treats-especially green beans, raisins, and dates!


Please help us provide Nikki and Lily, along with the 72 other monkeys at Pacific Primate Sanctuary, with wholesome food and hammocks to play in!
Donate Now! 

NOTABLE NEWS

Carlos enjoys a lilikoi

We have had quite a bit of rain this month, which has done wonders for the plants around the Sanctuary! There is an abundance of Guava which has been made into delicious fruit leather and mixed with high fiber to make frozen fruit balls. The Spider monkeys really enjoy the fresh Surinam Cherries and Lilikoi (passion fruit) which they eat whole- skin and all! The Capuchins are particularly fond of the fresh Figs currently in season. A tree in the garden has produced many plump avocados that have been a perfect high calorie food for our small marmosets on special diets.

Frieda grooming Bruno

Happily, we were able to pair two lone monkeys this month! Bruno’s mate Brenda passed away and he was living alone in the new extension. We introduced him to Frieda, a single female, and the two showed an immediate interest in each another. Frieda was placed into the enclosure with Bruno, and they bonded quickly. The two have been seen grooming each other in the morning sun and following one another around their outdoor enclosure!

Happy Birthday Lazero!

We have continued to move more monkeys into the new extension! The corridor in the main Sanctuary building is now spacious and un-crowded, with most of the monkeys taken out of the indoor portables and now living in their outdoor enclosures in the extension. It is wonderful to see these monkeys in the greenery at last! Oona and Little Bea have been running around and exploring their new plants. Eudora, a Cotton-top Tamarin, is spending hours basking in the sunshine and gazing out at the greenery surrounding her.

In addition to Lily and Nikki, there are other birthdays coming up this month. Macaco, who spent many years living indoors as a pet, has been at Pacific Primate Sanctuary for over a year and will be celebrating his 11th birthday on November 15th. Lazero, a Cotton Top Tamarin will be turning 8 on November 22. All primates like to party and there will be special treats to make it a HAPPY BIRTHDAY for the monkeys!

MEET MORE MONKEYS

Davis and Cordelia, stretched out in a warming patch of sunlight.

Cotton Top Tamarins are amazing jumpers! This skill helps them to leap through the trees high up in the tropical rainforests of Colombia

WHAT’S HAPPENING at PPS?

Generosity and Compassion are the stuff miracles are made of! A Pacific Primate Sanctuary Miracle Worker has made a major donation towards the construction of the Spider Monkey enclosure. 

“It is the heart that gives, the hands just let go”

              —friend, supporter and Pacific Primate Sanctuary Angel

 We have created a general design plan, and are eager to get going on this project. The site has been prepared and materials are being ordered.

Soon Carlos and Montana, the Spider Monkey brothers rescued from tourist attractions, will be able to brachiate through the trees in a new 40-foot enclosure as they were meant to do!

Spider Monkey Enclosure Design

This Blog and its content is copyright of Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc.—

© Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.

Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:

you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only

you may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material

You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 11, Part 2

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP THE MONKEYS

‘Tis the Season of Giving
The Holiday season is upon us; it is a time of year to celebrate with friends and family- a time when joy, compassion, and the spirit of generosity abound. Below are ways you can help Pacific Primate Sanctuary during this season of giving.

GoodShop
Use GoodShop.com for all your holiday shopping. After designating Pacific Primate Sanctuary as your nonprofit of choice, you can shop at more than 900 top online retailers and a percentage of your purchases will automatically be donated to the Sanctuary! For example: if you shop on eBay using Goodshop.com, 25-35% of eBay revenue will be donated to PPS! GoodShop also provides many valuable coupons to use towards your purchases. When you select a store, you will automatically be redirected to a coupon page for that store. PLEASE use GoodShop this holiday season!

Gift Contributions
Many of us are sick of the holiday buying binge and are searching for truly meaningful gifts. We would like to present a gift giving opportunity:
Gift Contributions can be made to Pacific Primate Sanctuary in the name of anyone on your holiday list. Your Gift Recipients will receive a beautiful Contribution Certificate showing you have made a donation in their name, along with information about PPS. This thoughtful and significant gift helps to feed and care for threatened, endangered and distressed primates. Please see the following PPS Holiday Gift Contribution Form for details and and click here to send a Gift Contribution now using PayPal!

Rescue Fund
A Rescue Fund will allow us to provide refuge for at risk animals needing to be brought to the Sanctuary immediately. Laboratories and pet owners often have deadlines for placement and may not contribute to the costs involved in getting the animal to Pacific Primate Sanctuary or provide for their housing and care. Your contributions will allow us to reach out to these monkeys and bring them to this safe haven. If you would like to donate to the Rescue Fund please make a tax-deductible donation at the sites above.

Sponsor an Intern!
We have had several people interested in the PPS internship position who are unable to afford the cost of travelling to Maui and volunteering for a year. For example, we just received the following e-mail from a very qualified applicant:
“I recently graduated with my Master of Science degree where my focus was primate conservation and my bachelor's degree was in anthropology/primatology. I have lived in the jungles of Borneo doing orangutan rehabilitation and Costa Rica. My undergraduate and graduate theses were in captive primate behavior. I also have graduate level experience in Grant Writing and Proposals.”
He is an ideal candidate for our Internship program. Unfortunately, he does not have the finances for an airline ticket or for personnel expenses.

The Sanctuary provides housing and an orchard and organic vegetable garden for our Resident Interns, however we do not have the funds to fly qualified students to Maui or to provide a stipend. If you are interested in sponsoring an Intern by purchasing airline tickets, donating Airline Miles, or providing a monthly stipend for our Resident Interns please contact us at pps@aloha.net.

How to Donate Directly
We rely upon your continued contributions. You make what we do possible! Please encourage your friends and relatives to make tax-deductible donations to the Sanctuary in the following ways:
You may donate online on our Website: www.pacificprimate.org or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/PacificPrimateSanctuary using PayPal
or by sending their check to:

Pacific Primate Sanctuary
500-A Haloa Road
Haiku, HI 96708

With your support, you make everything we do possible.

Presentation at Pacific Primate Sanctuary
We were fortunate to have a guest speaker give a talk at Pacific Primate Sanctuary last month. Dr. Lydia Hopper is a Postdoctoral Associate at the Language Research Center, Georgia State University, conducting research with chimpanzees, rhesus macaques and owl monkeys. She is working in collaboration with Dr. Sarah Brosnan on an NSF funded project entitled Understanding Responses to Inequitable Outcomes in
Non-human Primates. “How Chimpanzees and Capuchin monkeys take into account both their own and others' rewards or procedures and make subjective assessments of their outcome based on these changing parameters.” (Cebus Lab, Georgia State University). It was very interesting speaking with Dr. Hopper about her findings and learning that the research community is coming to understand that all primates share the concept of fairness and equity.

Cheryl, Dr. Lydia Hopper, Lucy and Mary Catherine

Pizza Party for the Monkeys

Watching Videos of the Monkeys

We recently had a fundraiser at the Flatbread Company in Paia, Maui. Flatbread donated a portion of each pizza sold to the Sanctuary. The event included a silent auction organized by Judi, our multi-talented Sanctuary volunteer. Generous friends and supporters in the community donated beautiful art objects and services for the auction. People had fun bidding and the auction turned out well. Pete, Loli, and Cyndi helped to share literature and speak directly with many people about Pacific Primate Sanctuary.

Mary Catherine and Lisa welcomed patrons at the door and told them a bit about our work at the Sanctuary. The children watched Erin’s wonderful movies of the monkeys living with others of their own kind in a green environment.

Thank you to everyone who helped make our PIZZA PARTY FOR THE MONKEYS a huge success! This was a great fundraiser, and we appreciate everyone who came out to support Pacific Primate Sanctuary.

Sanctuary Volunteers Mary Catherine, Judi, Loli and Lisa

PPS PEOPLE in the SPOTLIGHT

Meet Intern Lisa

Pacific Primate Sanctuary would like to Congratulate Intern Lisa on the completion of her Internship training program. Lisa came to the Sanctuary on July 27, 2010. In just 3 short months, Lisa has become proficient in the areas of Animal Caregiving, Emergency Medical Care, Colony Management, Record Keeping, and Volunteer Training. Lisa is now certified as a Primary Animal Caregiver at Pacific Primate Sanctuary!

Lisa received a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Texas A&M Corpus Christi. She has always had a passion for animal husbandry, conservation and animal welfare.

Mary Catherine, Lisa and Erin

When Lisa first wrote to us about the internship, she spoke of her past experience working with animals “…I learned the importance of dedication and passion it takes to pursue this line of work.” Upon reading that, we knew that Lisa would be a great Sanctuary Intern!

In her letter of acceptance, Lisa wrote:
You never know when the opportunity of a lifetime will appear, but I’m so thankful it did. …. I think what drew me most to PPS was the simple message “Where the suffering stops and the healing begins!”






We are so grateful that Lisa has come to Pacific Primate Sanctuary!

This Blog and its content is copyright of Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc.—

© Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.

Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:

you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only

you may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material

You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

Pacific Primate Sanctuary Holiday Gift Contribution

Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 11, Part 3

PPS INTERNSHIP

Pacific Primate Sanctuary is seeking New World Primate Caregiver/Office Assistant Resident Interns. We would welcome someone with a background in animal husbandry and an interest in animal welfare and conservation, who is a mature team player with respect for others. Qualified Applicants are invited to apply. Please click on the link here for more details, and e-mail us at pps@aloha.net

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Special Topic: Intern Lisa


Spider Monkeys, Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution of the Genus Ateles
Chapter 4: Diets of wild spider monkeys

C.R. Carpenter conducted the first comprehensive field study of wild spider monkey diets back in the 1930’s in Panama. He found that spider monkeys’ diet consist of 90% fruit. Since his studies in the 1930’s other subsequent studies have basically confirmed what Carpenter found out.

Overall, the bulk of their diet consists of fruits-mainly ripe fruits. To compliment the diet they also eat plant parts, such as leaves, flowers, and seeds. Spider monkeys tend to eat the fruit and the seeds whole. Spider monkeys typically eat over the course of the day, usually in the morning and afternoon, with less activity in the midday. After feeding, spider monkeys will usually rest for a long time and tend to defecate large numbers of indigestible seeds from their bowels- this makes them great plant dispersers.

The social organization of spider monkeys is tied closely to their diet. Spider monkeys are part of a large community that splits into smaller groups to travel and feed. This type of social structure is known as a fission-fusion society.

Spider monkeys are well adapted for their diet of fruit. Spider monkeys posses a simple unelongated digestive tract and have a fast gut passage time relative to their body size. This enables them to rapidly ingest larger numbers of fruit and get what they need from these fruits and clear away the indigestible seeds.

-Campbell, Christina J. Spider Monkeys: The Biology, Behavior, and Ecology of the Genus Ateles (Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology). UK. Cambridge University Press. 2008.


Special Topic: Intern Cheryl


The Complete Capuchin. The Biology of the Genus Cebus


Chapter 3: Community Ecology: How Do Capuchins Interact With Their Local Communities and Influence Their Environments?

Most of the protein in Capuchin diets comes from invertebrates, primarily insects and other arthropods like snails. Capuchins are the only species of primate known to specialize in finding and extracting hidden and embedded insects e.g. larvae of beetles. Much of their time is spent finding food that can be easily captured and eaten.

Capuchins are known to switch to alternative foods (as discussed last month) when fruit and insects are scarce. One alternative is vertebrate prey. It so happens that the main nesting periods for parrots and squirrels is during the dry season when fruits and caterpillars are less common for Capuchins. During this time they will take advantage of the availability of eggs and often the birds and squirrels.

 A Capuchin monkey at PPS eats a fig

It is widely believed that Capuchins are subject to predation by animals such as jaguars, pumas, coyotes and raptors. However, monkeys can thwart predation attempts in several ways: they can be cryptic and silent; they can run away from predators; they can give loud alarm calls to warn others and they can actively confront predators.

Although Capuchins don’t commonly consume flowers, they have been known to insert their faces deep into certain flowers to obtain the nectar within. The pollen dust, which then clings to their face, would allow for dispersion and give Capuchins the role of pollinators. They are also known to tap branches and listen to the sounds of embedded insects; they will then break off the branch and lick out the grubs. ‘Tree pruning’ is a sufficiently common activity during foraging that researchers on the ground must be constantly alert to the dangers of falling branches!

Capuchins have been found to live in the same Neotropical forest with many other New World species. Capuchins have been found to co-exist with many others of the same species, something found to be quite rare with other species. This is most likely due to their abilities to exploit many different food sources and habitats.

This genus of monkey preys on both invertebrates and vertebrates and in turn, is preyed upon by a wide variety of carnivores. While their preferred foods are fruit and insects, they also occasionally eat seeds and flowers. At other times Capuchins disperse seeds away from the parent tree, and they carry pollen from one flower to another. It has been argued that Capuchins lower the numbers of certain insects that infest trees. They occasionally take agricultural foods from fields and orchards, leading to conflict with farmers, who may hunt them in retribution. They sometimes forage in mixed species groups, benefiting the other types of monkeys that travel with them. Clearly, Capuchins participate fully in the many forms of competition and cooperation that characterize the dynamics of ecological communities.

Fragaszy, D.M., Visalberghi, E., Fedigan, L.M. (2004) The Complete Capuchin: The Biology of the Genus Cebus. UK. Cambridge University Press


Special Topic: Infant Care: Marmosets and Tamarins

Both marmosets and tamarins provide communal infant care, which includes infant carrying and provisioning. Most species carry their infants for greater than 90% of the time for the first four weeks of its life. The amount of time an infant is carried varies among different species. For example, Callithrix (marmosets) carry and support infants for a shorter period of time than Saguinus (tamarins) do. The differences aren't due to variations in body sizes or growth rates, but because of ranging patterns, which impact energetics and group dynamics.

In many marmoset and tamarin species the mothers aren't the primary source of solid food for the infants. The mothers already expend energy for the infants through lactation, so additional foraging pressures would greatly decrease the mothers' energy. Ranging patterns are key to the varying degrees of communal infant care. With greater foraging distances, more communal effort is given to infant care.

-. Rylands, Anthony B. Marmosets and Tamarins: Systematics, Behaviour, and Ecology.1993: Oxford University Press; Oxford. 220-34.

“I want to realize brotherhood or identity, not merely with the beings called human, but I want to realize identity with all life...”
—Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948)

We hope you have enjoyed this issue of Pacific Primate Sanctuary’s E-Newsletter. Thank you for your support of our life saving work. Because of compassionate people, the Sanctuary can continue to provide a place of peace and happiness for 74 primates saved from research laboratories, animal dealers, and smugglers. Here they can heal, form families, and live free from exploitation.

This Blog and its content is copyright of Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc.—
© Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.
Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:
you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only
you may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material
You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.

Primate Update E-Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 10, Part 1

PPS PRIMATES in the SPOTLIGHT

Meet Lucian:

Lucian was born on October 23, 2003 in a research laboratory. He is a White-tufted Eared Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus). The first year and a half of his life was spent in a windowless room with no access to the outside world or green plants. In March 2004, Lucian, along with his parents and siblings came to Pacific Primate Sanctuary. Lucian was soon paired with Olivia, a young female who had been human reared after her mother passed away in childbirth. She had an unusual upbringing, and lacked some normal social skills she would have picked up had her mother survived. Over the years, Lucian and Olivia have formed a close bond and have raised their offspring together. Through this process, Olivia has learned normal marmoset behaviors and communication. Lucian has been given the opportunity to live as every monkey deserves- he spends hours in the sun, running and leaping through the branches and leaves in his home. He became a father, and helped to successfully raise his children. The pair has now been together for almost 6 years; they have formed a family and created natural social bonds.

Unfortunately, Lucian, along with all the other monkeys who arrived with him, has recurring intestinal troubles. Sanctuary Volunteers have spent many hours providing Lucian with special care each time he became lethargic and dehydrated, nursing him gently back to health. We have discovered which foods upset his stomach, and have altered his diet. Finally, last year, our Veterinarian found a medication to combat Lucian’s problem. This medication is wonderful and Lucian’s health has been great, however, he will have to be on it for the rest of his life. Lucian’s mate Olivia, has a heart condition, and is also on lifetime medication.

Your support can supply Lucian and his mate Olivia with these vital medications, as well as providing the materials for much-needed new soft sleeping houses!
Donate Now

NOTABLE NEWS

Sebastian examining yellow ginger

We are heading into winter, and beginning to see more rainy days. This rain has done wonders for the plants around the Sanctuary, and many delightful fruits are growing. The monkeys have been enjoying fresh strawberry guava, passion fruit and jackfruit, just to name a few. Papayas were donated by Down to Earth last month and Gaia and Galatea (twin Saddleback Tamarins) were particularly fond of the fruit, contentedly eating side by side.
Some delicious flowers are also in bloom, including yellow ginger and hibiscus.
The Capuchins were excited when we planted new trees in their enclosures, including Fig trees and Hibiscus bushes. The figs aren’t growing yet, but they were able to suck the sweet nectar from the hibiscus flowers. The Spider Monkeys have been most enthusiastic about the fresh greens they have been given from the garden, including Ibica (a tropical leafy vegetable), kale and Swiss chard!

THE ENCLOSURES IN THE NEW EXTENSION ARE COMPLETE!
We have begun the process of moving the monkeys into their new outdoor homes. Bruno, whose mate recently passed away, was moved into his outdoor enclosure, and has been exploring all of the greenery. Leonardo and Dyna were also moved into the new extension, and are thoroughly enjoying their new space.

Leonardo and Dyna in their new outdoor enclosure

Pacey enjoys his Birthday
 in his new home

We will be celebrating several birthdays this upcoming month! Pacey, a White Tufted-eared Marmoset just turned 6 on September 29th. Lucas, another White Tufted-eared Marmoset will also be turning 6 on October 14th.  Lucian and Olivia will both be having birthdays this month- just one day apart! Lucian turns 7 on October 23, and his mate Olivia will be turning 9 on October 24th.

Please join us in wishing our primate friends a very Happy Birthday!

MEET MORE MONKEYS

Little Bea, a White Tufted-eared Marmoset, sits near a Red Ginger in her portable. She and her housemate Oona will soon be moved to an outdoor enclosure in the new PPS Extension!

Prospero, a Capuchin monkey, examines his fur after grooming with an Etrog, a citron fruit. This grooming behavior is thought to help keep insects away. To see this in action, please watch our video,

“Prospero Enjoys an Etrog” on YouTube

This Blog and its content is copyright of Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc.—

© Pacific Primate Sanctuary, Inc., 2009. All rights reserved.

Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited other than the following:

you may print or download to a local hard disk extracts for your personal and non-commercial use only

you may copy the content to individual third parties for their personal use, but only if you acknowledge the website as the source of the material

You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.